Passengers Choose Airports When They Fly

The number of airports in a city can vary. While some cities have only one airport, others may have as many as three. For passengers, the greater the number of airports in a city, the more options they have and they increasingly choose to fly from the airports where they feel more comfortable.

In fact, the practice of choosing flights based on airports became noticeable during the COVID-19 period. Passengers began flying from airports where they felt safer. After the pandemic ended, this behavior stabilized, and airport preference became significantly more important. Several factors started to play a decisive role in shaping these choices.

Have you ever wondered why some airports are less preferred than others?

This week, I researched the criteria passengers use when deciding which airport they want to fly from.

Here are the results:

Distance to the Airport and Ground Transportation Connectivity

When planning a trip and purchasing tickets, passengers first consider how they will get to the airport. Especially in Istanbul, congestion in airport parking areas and the difficulty of finding parking spaces play a major role in these decisions. Metro connections to airports stand out as a key factor in flight selection. Ease and comfort during the journey to the airport directly influence which airport passengers choose.

Staff Quality

When passengers feel comfortable during a flight experience, they tend to turn that airport into a habit and continue using it consistently. This experience begins at security screening and continues until boarding. If airport security staff are helpful and treat passengers well, it creates a positive start to the journey. For example, around three years ago in the UK, many passengers chose to fly from Liverpool instead of Manchester due to poor behavior by security staff at Manchester Airport.

Airport Pricing

Passengers truly experience an airport’s comfort during delays, cyberattacks, or peak holiday travel periods. When operational disruptions force passengers to spend more time at the airport, they compare food and beverage options and their prices with those outside the airport. As a result, passengers tend to choose airports that align more closely with their budgets.

Hygiene

Hygiene is one of the most essential factors for airports. Airports in countries such as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea receive awards every year for being the cleanest airports. As a journalist who has personally visited these airports, I can confirm that they are genuinely spotless, even the smoking areas are extremely clean. The cleanliness of restrooms is particularly impressive. Hygiene, which became even more important after the pandemic, is now a key factor in airport preference. Passengers want to fly from cleaner airports because falling ill while traveling can be extremely challenging, and they prefer not to take that risk.

Number of Flight Options

The more airlines operate at an airport, the greater the competition, benefiting both the airport and passengers. When booking tickets, passengers can compare airlines flying to the same destination to find better service quality and more competitive prices. This allows travelers to enjoy higher-quality service at lower costs and fly more comfortably. For this reason, passengers prefer airports that offer multiple options. Airports with limited flight networks, where passengers are forced to fly with airlines they do not prefer, are generally avoided.